Steering mechanism



R. L. COCHRAN STEERING MECHANISM June 26, 1962 Filed Jan. 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F-IG.4

INVENTOR. Fl 6 I RICHARD L. COCHRAN M,WJ@Z/M ATTORNEYS June 26, 1962 R. L. COCHRAN STEERING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1960 FIG.

.N A mR H MC m L D R Y 2 l M )C 4 R u I 6 m. Q. 5 f o 3 a Z 3 w. 2 m. 4 I .rlfi 6 rl m m. P Q l 2 s h 5 s x W, M4441, MVLMQM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,040,525 STEERING MECHANISM Richard L. Cochran, Indianapolis, Ind, assignor to The Buchler Corporation, a corporation of Indiana Filed Jan. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 2,487

1 Claim. (Cl. 60-3555) The present invention relates to water or liquid jetpropelled boats and more particularly to a device for steering and controlling the stability and operation of such a boat. I

At least one form of water jet-propelled boat involves an engine arranged to drive a turbine which is located within a conduit passing through the boat. Water is drawn into the conduit through an intake opening at the bottom of the boat, is pumped through the conduit by the turbine and is exhaustedin a stream from the rear of the boat, the stream leaving the boat above the water within which the boat is floating or is supported. The propulsion principle depends directly on a basic law of physics which provides that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, as water is ejected astern, the boat moves forward.

"ice

converging surface 16 of a member 17 fixed within the conduit, the stream leaving the boat at a point above the water line.

Fixed to the conduit 11 by meansof bolts is a housing 21, one function of which is to contain a gate 22 which is movable within a vertically extending opening 23 to various positions. When the gate 22 is in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 4, the water in the conduit 11 is bottled up, and prevented from being exhausted from the rear of the boat whereby the boat is caused to idle.

' The gate is movable upwardly to a position wherein the One problem present in the construction and operation of such water jet-propelled boats is that of maintaining the proper stability and particularly the proper trim of the boat. If the boat is heavily loaded at either the forward or rearward end, the hull will tend to rotate about a transverse axis in the water causing either the bow or the stern to ride low in the water. This effect, if unduly great, will be inconvenient to the occupants of the boat and will interfere with the proper operation and with the correct planing of the boat while in motion.

It is also highly desirable if not necessary that efficient means be provided for steering the boat. Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is to provide means for steering and controlling the trim of a water jet-propelled boat. To accomplish this object, the present invention contemplates the provision of means for setting and controlling the direction of the water stream issuing from the boat, the invention acting according to the above mentioned law of physics to change the direction of and to trim the boat.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a water jet-propelled boat having a hull and a means for propelling a stream of water from the hull. A tubular conduit is mounted on the hull so as to be pivotal about a vertical axis and is positioned in sucha manner that the stream of water passes through the conduit. A second tubular conduit is mounted on the first mentioned conduit in registry therewith and so as to be pivotal about a horizontal axis.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a water jet-propelled boat having the steering and stability controlling device of the present invention mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a water jet-propelled boat 10 having a conduit 11 therethrough which opens into the steering and stabilizing device 12 mounted upon the rear of the boat. Mounted Within the conduit 1-1 is a turbine 15 which functions to pump the water through the conduit 11 and from the rear of the boat. The water is formed into a stream by the gate is above the opening in the member 17 and the stream of water moved through the conduit 11 by the turbine is free to be exhausted past the gate and from the rear of the boat. The gate is also movable downwardly from the position of FIG. 4 'to a position wherein the water from the turbine is deflected in a direction for- Wardly of the boat causing the boat to move rearwardly.

The housing 21 is formed with a vertically extending bore 25 within which is pivotally received a shaft 26. Fixed to the lower end of the shaft by means of a pin 27 is a cylindrical conduit 30. The conduit 30 is also pivoted at its lower end to the housing 21 by means of a screw 31 threadedly fixed to the conduit 30 and pivotally received through a bracket 32 fixed to the housing 21 by means of bolts 35 which pass through projections 36 extending from the housing 21.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the housing'21 is formed with a cylindrical aperture 37 arranged in registry with the member 17. The cylindrical conduit 30 is also arranged in registry with the member 17 so that the stream of water leaving the conduit is projected through the aperture 37 and through the conduit'30.

A rearwardly extending steering quadrant 40 is fixed to the shaft 26 by means of the pin 41. The steering quadrant is formed with groves 42 adapted to receive a steering rope or line 43 whichex-tends forwardly into the boat and is operatively associated with the steering wheel of the boat. A bolt 45 is provided for fixing the steering line 43 with relation to the steering quadrant.

' A second cylindrical conduit is pivotally mounted upon the conduit 30 for pivoting about a horizontal axis, the conduit 50 being secured to the conduit 30 by means of screws 51 pivotally received within the conduit 30 and threadedly fixed within the conduit 50. Suitable washers 52 are received about the screws 51 and between the conduits 30 and 50 for preventing binding of the conduit 50.

A link 55 is pivotally secured to the top of the conduit 50 and extends upwardly through a slot 56 in the steering quadrant 40, the slot 56 being arranged to extend axially of the conduit 30. The link 55 has threaded thereon a pair of nuts 57' which are positioned on opposite sides of the steering quadrant 40.

In order to operate the present device, a stream of water is caused to flow from the conduit 11 so as to propel the boat. When the driver of the boat desires to turn the boat, he turns the steering wheel which causes the line 43 to pivot the conduit 30 about a vertical axis. Since the conduit 50 is mounted upon the conduit 30, it also pivots about the vertical axis with the conduit 30. In this manner the stream of water passing through the conduits 30 and 50 is deflected either leftwardly or rightwardly from the rear of the boat causing the rear of the boat to move oppositely to such deflection and resulting in the turning of the boat. For example, if the conduits 30 and 50 are pivoted to the right as viewed in FIG. 3, the stream of water will be deflected to the right causing the rear of the boat to move to the left and causing the boat to turn to the right.

When a heavy load is placed either in the front or the rear of the boat, the boat will be caused to float with its bow or stern, respectively, in a downward position. This condition is inconvenient to the occupants of the boat and may aifect the operation such as, for example, the correct planing of the boat. In order to trim the boat, the conduit 30 is adjusted by means of the nuts 57 so that the stream of water passing through the conduits 30 and 50 is deflected either downwardly or upwardly. For example, if the heavy load is located in the rear of the boat, the conduit 30 would be pivoted downwardly and the nuts 57 adjusted upwardly on the link 55 so that the link 55 will hold the conduit in a downward position. When the water passes through the conduit 50, it will be deflected downwardly producing a moment which will tend to raise the rear of the boat and maintain it in a proper operating position.

From the above description, it will be obvious that the present invention provides a novel device for steering and controlling the trim of a water jet-propelled boat. It can also be seen that the present invention provides a device which will accomplish the above functions efiiciently and yet is simple, inexpensive and durable.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A liquid jet-propelled boat comprising a hull, means for propelling a stream of water from the rear of said hull above the surface of the water sustaining said hull, a housing fixed to the hull and having a pair of vertically extending, vertically spaced coaxial bores therethroug'n, a shaft pivotally received in said bores, a tubular conduit fixed to said shaft and secured to said housing for pivoting about the axis of said bores, said conduit being positioned in such a manner that the stream passes therethrough, a second tubular conduit positioned in registry with said first conduit and extending rearwardly thereof, horizontally extending members mounting said second conduit upon said first conduit for pivoting about a horizontal axis, a steering quadrant fixed to said shaft centrally thereof between said bores and extending rearwardly over said second conduit, said quadrant having a groove in the periphery thereof adapted to receive a steering line whereby said quadrant can be pivoted about the axis of said bores, said quadrant having a central elongated rearwardly extending slot therein, a link mounted upon the upper surface of said second conduit for pivoting about a horizontal transverse axis, said link having a threaded portion extending upwardly through said slot, and a pair of nuts threadedly received on said link on opposite sides of said quadrant for fixedly but adjustably spacing said second 'conduit and said quadrant whereby said second conduit can be tilted to deflect the stream of water upwardly or downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

